Sunday 31 March 2013

One of many comments on Tripadvisor

“A five year old's idea of heaven...and dad's too”
5 of 5 starsReviewed 30 March 2013 NEW
This has become a regular visit over the last few years and never fails to deliver. The stations are always immaculately clean, the trains run to time, the food and drink is great quality and good value, but the stand out element...the people who volunteer their time to make it all happen. Each and every one is full of enthusiasm which is infectious. Parking is plentiful (and free) at Toddington and Cheltenham. Rover tickets are great value and give the opportunity to make the most of the day.
Visited March 2013

Groups

Claudette advises me that we have now received 32% more group and coach bookings so far this year in comparison with the same period last year. So, regardless of the weather the picture is encouraging so far.
Colin Fewell

Thursday 28 March 2013

We've cracked it again

I have received the following from a family that had a trip with us for their son's birthday on 10th March.

I am e-mailing you to express my deep gratitude to you and all the staff at GWR.  The trip was the most enormous success and parents and children alike agreed it was the best party they has been to.   I have had several enquiries from parents wanting to organise something similar.

The disabled carriage worked brilliantly giving the children a little extra space to let off steam (no pun intended) and all the staff were incredibly helpful and friendly.   I am so pleased that the line has been restored and that the full route runs again.

Thanks once again.   Alice Johnson



Well done everyone.   This can only get better and proves without doubt that we are indeed

                                                "The friendly Line in the Cotswolds"

HH

Wednesday 27 March 2013

Group Visits - at least someone loves us


Dear Sir,

It was an excellent day.  Everything timed exactly right and the standard of service was faultless from the original enquiry through to the end of the trip.   The stationmaster at Cheltenham was extremely helpful as were the two gentlemen who told us all about the GWSR on the outward trip and who sold sleeper sponsorships and membership options on the way back (he made some sales).  The whole train was in pristine condition and full working order from front to tear buffers.  Also the Flag and Whistle lunches we had booked were first rate with swift and friendly service - how attractive the building looks in its new paintwork.

I look forward to returning when the weather improves and seeing my 2 sleepers on the route to Broadway and perhaps winning on the monthly draw with your club which I also joined.

Regards to you and your railway.


Many congratulations to all involved, keep up the good work.

Henry Howard

Farewell Clydebridge

After many years of good service on the GWR 37 324 Clydebridge today moved on to pastures new.  The move was carried out by Heanor Haulage using a 12 row (48 wheels) modular trailer to transport the 105 ton loco and an additional trailer as a ramp to winch the loco onto the main trailer.

The loco departed Toddington just after 10:00, the photo shows it fastened down on the trailer outside the Flag and Whistle.  Quite an impressive sight.


37 324 is departing the railway for good, the owner deciding to move it to the East Lancashire Railway where he already stables two other examples of the class.  All being well the locomotive should be operating at their July diesel gala.

Neil Carr.

Tuesday 26 March 2013

Quiet but busy

People keep saying "you're quiet on the Blog"

Its because there's nothing that exciting to write about

Last week with Neil C  I attend the joint HRA/ORR seminar at the Baggies ground. The attendance list was like the who's who of heritage railways. The meeting stressed the importance of safety and demonstrated  how critical good governance is in this connection and generally (think I knew that) - several issues for discussion at a Board away day we plan for August

I've had a couple of meetings with the auditors on the 2012/13 Accounts - routine stuff

I,  Henry Howard, Alan Bielby and Chris Bristow had a meeting to see if we could finally pin down a relocation of the Winchcombe Railway Museum to one of our sites. It raised more questions than answers but led to my having to remind myself how a VAT group structure of companies works

A meeting of the Development Foundation Group was postponed because Max Hawkins is quite poorly

After the Board last Friday I have written a Boardroom news piece that should come out as a Volunteer Announcement shortly

Robert Goundry, I and Chris Bristow are meeting tomorrow to get the preparation for the new Shares Offer moving

I have been looking through the design of an electronic purchase order system designed by Danny Scroggins to work through HOPS and replace present paper arrangements. More when we have finished the design

With Neil C and Bob Mac met with Streamline who supply our credit card machines. They had concerns about our use and financial viability which were sorted. We ordered two additional wireless units for use at the up coming events. Should be here in a fortnight

Cleared my drive of snow twice which ain't bad for an old codger but the first batch of snow made me miss the Diesel AGM

As I said, not that interesting but busy

MT

Saturday 23 March 2013

New Shares Offer

At Friday's Board meeting (we worried throughout about snow but managed to get home before it got serious) a new Shares Offer was approved.

When launched this summer (there a fair amount of preparation) it will offer honed travel benefits but more importantly a purchase will qualify for 30% tax relief under the Government Enterprise Investment Scheme (EIS) -  you invest £1000 and get £300 back from HMRC as a tax refund.

The new issue which will replace the existing one that has run since the Plc was formed, will be titled "Bridges to Broadway" and will be limited to a total shares sale value of £500,000. This is broadly the amount needed to put the bridges between Laverton and Broadway in good order. Any money so raised under EIS must be spent within two years of receipt.

With the embankments hopefully behind us, this represents the first major activity to raise funds to get to Broadway and we hope will be of interest to all.

Watch for the launch announcement!

Friday 22 March 2013

Making visitors welcome

Following the success of "meeters and greeters" for coaches and other groups, I want to extend this to assisting individual visitors when they arrive. A number of volunteers - some new to the railway and some not so new - have come together to set up a new team. Hopefully from Good Friday and then on weekends and holidays thereafter, we will have a "porter" at Toddington, then in time Winchcombe and Cheltenham Race Course who will be on the platform working alongside and with the Stationmaster welcoming visitors and answering any questions they may have. 
Colin Fewell

Tuesday 19 March 2013

Drinking champagne and feeling no pain

Amazing stats from Richard and Hilary S about OTC and the Race trains

The Champagne Bar on Todd platform took £2032

Our total OTC take was £13,723 broadly 34% up on last year

They sold 282 bottles of you know what, 420 cans of Guinness and 144 G &T's


Brilliant effort by OTC and their temporary assistants

MT

Tourism Day and advertising

A successful Tourism day yesterday with over 150 visitors from tourist information centres, bed and breakfasts, hotels, local councils and local attractions etc. All went away with leaflets and promises to promote us to their friends and guests.

About 250,000 flyers sent out last week inserted in local newspapers as far afield as Solihull, Warwick, Leamington, Coventry and Stratford etc. Newspaper adverts will appear locally this week.

Colin Fewell

Sunday 17 March 2013

A happy punter

The following message on the GWSR Twitter account:
“We thoroughly enjoyed our trip to & from Cheltenham races yesterday. The railway volunteers are tremendous. Worth their weight in gold!”
Colin Fewell

Saturday 16 March 2013

A busy few weeks in Property


This week has been a relief and a step forward on many fronts.

Relief on the basis I have been able to get down to the railway after being ill with a full week off work and not able to get down to GWR for two weeks.

Relief that the temporary repairs and fettling to JJ Farms (See pictures and last taken this week) was completed just in time for Race Traffic to start and our full season opening.  Additional relief I was just able to make it back from Swansea through freak blizzards on Wednesday to see the second late afternoon race empties make its way across the bridge at line speed towards Cheltenham without the need for the speed restriction we had in place before Christmas.

Step forward as Malcolm has mentioned in we are working on some really positive developments which will move us in not just the Broadway direction but on to Honeybourne - they remain low key for the moment while discussions continue.

Step forward on the basis of positive working relationship and correspondence on routing of at least one local companies high road vehicles away from Laverton (not that they hit the bridge..but there was only an inch or two in it.) And then continuing discussions with Highways on flooding, drainage and road issues and improvements in general.

The team continue to do a fantastic job, having got the stations presentable for the opening, refurb of the Flag and Whistle and the additional unseen drainage improvements through a horrendously cold and wet winter progressed by a new very small dedicated team and their machines. Culverts, lineside drainage and ditches, as well as finishing off and tying in with the contract repairs at Cheltenham.

Other things progressed over the last couple of weeks, archive 1900’s construction drawings
found for details for ‘replanting’ one of two possible bridges that could come to Broadway (or the drawings used for new build), and being greatly supported by Our newly appointed Civil Engineer Peter Muir, who has taken on a huge amount of work from me and allowed me to work on other tasks which were on the list of things to do.

Still the a week off work ill meant I had a few extra hours with our Daughter Maya instead of just her being with the grandparents whilst my wife works part of the week. Much to their shock (In Laws and Out laws) who are run off their feet normally looking after her as she is a little ball of energy, with me convalescing Maya sat with her Daddy like a little angel concentrating with frown 45 minutes at a time watching DVD's such as ‘Carry on Clagging’ Steam Addition's and a whole host of other railway programmes - she's hooked on trains - waves as they go by on the screen but hasn't quite worked out where they disappear to once they have 'fallen' off the screen. At 15 months can mimic a class 47/57's horn! That's my girl.

Back at work and whilst on site at Swansea, meetings at Swindon and back in the office at Paddington one of the Engineers I was working with belongs to the Hagley Hall group on SVR and has also visited our railway regularly, I was able to get a new member sign up confirmed by colleague at work and had more discussions with different NR teams on further Company Charity team working days on the GWR......and have passed the strange site of the Ffestiniog railway display of one of their locos ‘Princess’ on one of the platforms at Paddington station......its been a quiet couple of weeks!


JJ Farms Bridge between Winchcombe and Gotherington - August 2012 P-Way Wednesday gang cleaning out the bearings for a full detailed inspection of the bridge




February 2013 Track removed, trackbed lowered with waybeam troughs cleaned and previous packing to beams permanently removed






Reinstated and shortened beams (to 1903 design length and levels) put back in at original levels with new flatbottom rail and chairs
 
 
 

Darren Fairley

After the guinness flood

I asked for evidence that CRC had survived the Races. This is Bob Stark's evidence courtesy of photographer Wayne Finch





 
 
 



 
Bob, Dorothy and Bing ! Are you old enough to remember those fabulous films?
 
 


 
 

World war 2 evacuation and Victorian Schools visits

Interesting to see how the number of Schools who come to us for these specialist visits has grown. In 2010 we saw 10 school groups, in 2011 - 20 and in 2012  -27
Colin Fewell

Found the right place

The Peter M award plaque is now on display in the Booking Office at CRC

 
This seemed the most appropriate location since it means we have an original plaque of each of our three awards at each of our stations if you see what I mean

Thursday 14 March 2013

And this week?

Many seemed interested in the recent account of my activities as Chairman and FD, so I thought I'd share what I've been up to this week.

There is a Plc Board on 22nd and I have been drafting reports for that including:

The February Management Accounts - always a difficult month with a lot of outs and few ins. More after the Board has considered them

A report on a potential new shares offer which could include 30% tax relief on the purchase. The Board has to agree but, watch this space

A report on an electric supply risk on which we are taking legal advice

Not related to Board immediately but D Fairley and I have been preparing for a meeting with Sustrans re Broadway - Honeybourne which might be in Brum next month

I was at Toddington on Wednesday and met with Max Hawkins on Foundation progress, an informal update from Alan Bielby regarding the recent Planners visit to the Paint Shop site following complaints about the development from local residents. All seems ok 

I also did a little networking including learning of Rob the model man's nasty van write off experience and that Dave "Signalman" Newman's wife is doing well. I had a look at the new flooring and heating in the Todd shop and the heating in the SMs office. This is designed to automatically provide background heat overnight which protects sales goods and IT kit and then revs up on operational days to add to volunteer and customer comfort

I signed a mass of cheque payments prepared by Bob Mac and in turn issued a number of invoices for rentals (quarter day approaches) and charters - Bob gets the copies to enter onto our Sage accounting system

A discussion with Richard Drewitt regarding a good offer he has received for one of our more derelict coaches. We also discussed the delivery of the two Riviera coaches we are purchasing. It has not been easy to finalise matters but we have hopes for next week

I've had an update on progress and costs from Mark Young on the RO water installation at Todd. It should be commissioned early next month

I have also been working on commentary for Danny Scroggin's excellent work to convert the issue of Purchase Orders (POs) to be electronic and via HOPS. A way to go yet but this will be a great step forward

Tomorrow a little treat I think. To Todd and on train to at least enjoy the Gold Cup atmosphere. Tremendous work by all - crews, OTC, crossing monitors and bucket rattlers for the GWRT etc. I think that the four days will bring us income of around £30,000 (income not profit) which will be the highest ever

One request. Could I just once go to the Railway and feel warm again?

MT

Wednesday 13 March 2013

Gold cup meeting - Tuesday

All went well yesterday despite the weather. Over 400 racegoers transported. One fairly "tired" woman coming down the slope at CRC at the end of the day asked what time the train got to Bath.
Although we will be running two trains today - Wednesday - numbers will be less at about 350
Colin Fewell

Monday 11 March 2013

Wartime weekend flypast

It looks as though - subject to the weather and other possible problems - we will have an RAF Dakota flypast on the Sunday
Colin Fewell

Cream teas on Mothering Sunday

77 cream teas served yesterday afternoon. Everyone enjoyed the experience and we got 2 new memberships out of it plus some promised donations to the sleeper appeal. Lots of interest in the Fiah and Chips specials. One family misread the ticket and instructions and arrived at CRC . They got the DMU to Winchcombe and changed trains. They then had 20 minutes to have their tea before having to get off again to get to their car!
Number of group booking this year still about 20% up on last year at 142 so far confirmed. This really is big business
Colin Fewell

Saturday 9 March 2013

I enjoyed that

Today was about personal satisfaction and  "shes".

Ignoring she remarks about "playing trains again" I was determined to get to Toddington earlier than usual on a Saturday. I wanted to enjoy the build up atmosphere of the first scheduled steam train to run our full line since that  telephone call from Neil Carr advising of the Gotherington slip. Its been rough since then.

Duly at 9.45, the delightful 5542 responded to Station Master Colin Dymock's (so nice to see him back following surgery) signal, whistled and losing steam from a coupling  (which created great atmosphere) went "woof" (I bet there is a technical term which of course I don't know) and the GWR was back. I felt very pleased, proud and satisfied. A job done. Had a personal moment.

A few words with our new SM in training (she) then off to W for coffee in the Pot (all women again, I felt duly inadequate), a quick look at PWay finalising the track in the new Paint Shop and back to Todd to see the return from Cheltenham. This time she was carrying enough bodies to settle my FD instincts.

She left for Laverton (another first of course) and we waited. Platform 2 we were told.  The bell and there she was offering what I now sense is one of the views of the line, the train curving in from the north with the loco working.

We are back, we are in better infra structure shape, we are now much more of a team, we have our finances sorted, we have an exciting timetable and programme of events and the largest capital programme ever. Its going to be a great season and I hope everyone gets fun, pleasure, fellowship and satisfaction.

So what else today. Had my pic taken with Henry Howard and the footplate crew, a few words with the team finalising the new reverse osmosis waterplant at Todd, a discussion with Neil C on a rising problem which I hope will go away and finally a review meeting with Alan Bielby. In the Development Manager's Office (she wont like it but I was cold) we discussed the ongoing actions required on the new Paint Shop and sought to satisfy my instinct to move a little faster.

Next week another birthday. I've come to dread them but feel the last year was a good un.

Malcolm Temple

Today's blue timetable

The trains were not that busy today - the mist and rain can't have helped - but the message has got through that visitors should spend the day with us. Nearly everyone I spoke to said they were having two train rides - one steam and one DMU with either lunch in between or crossing the bridge at Winchcombe. All were delighted we are open again over the full 12 miles.
Colin Fewell

Friday 8 March 2013

Busy Friday for FD

Today was busy

First  Bob Mac and I met with our auditor Jane Grimshaw and her team  to answer the standard requests/information exchange to start the audit. She was particularly interested in expenditure on the embankments and the donations and grants that have financed the works. In a meeting of just over an hour we also discussed a revised format for the published Profit & Loss Account that should make the accounts a little more understandable for non accountants.

Then with Colin Fewell I met Severn Valley Railway represented by Nick Ralls General Manager and Mike Ball Plc Deputy Chairman. We do this about twice a year or so to share experiences and discuss current activities and practices. They commented  on a number of issues including half term sales, safety at 1940's events, their approach to photo charters, their restructured charitable trust, station rebuilding and planners, Thomas, loco availability, their new share issue which to date has produced over £1.3 million and fund raising. Both are to attend the HRA meeting next week at West Brom. The Operations Manager and I will be there to represent the GWR.

MT

CRC Just Past the Post


The foundations for Platform 2 were duly completed on time and all is available for the first train tomorrow
















Malcolm Temple (taking the credit for Bob Stark's photos)

Saturday March 9th

You may see a small group of film makers at Toddington on Saturday morning. They are 2nd year students at the University of Gloucestershire and they are making a short documentary  which follows the story of a Jewish family and their experiences during the second world war and their attempts to flee and hide from  persecution. The documentary is based on the real-life events of the family of their producer. (There will be no disruption to our timetable and they will only film in public areas)
Colin Fewell

Thursday 7 March 2013

Wartime in the Cotswolds weekend

More meetings and more progress with this new event. Over 300 re-enactors, at least 2 bands and possibly three, singers, bebop dance displays, at least two morris dancing groups, military and civil vehicles, farm machinery and a while lot more are all being fitted into a very tight programme. With Bryan Nicholls opening Gotherington Station to us it is all coming together and will be a great and hectic weekend. The team of 12 is doing a magnificient job in putting this together but needs support from other volunteers on car park and crossing duties etc.  Will anyone not on operational duty this weekend please offer a few hours? This is vital if the event is to be as successful as we hope it will be. We need EVERY volunteer to support this. Please let me know if you can help.
Colin Fewell

Laverton at Last

Many of you have been wondering about the loop at Laverton.  It is with great pleasure that I can announce that the loop is now available for use and that passenger trains will run into the loop from Saturday 9th March.  After much sterling work by Permanent Way and more recently by the S&T department the loop is now complete and the ground frames installed and working.  It was touch and go at the end as we were in the hands of the tamping machine which, in the nature of these complicated beasts, was reluctant to work properly and then broke a hydraulic ram half way through the job.  However on Tuesday the tamper completed the job and the final connections to the pointwork were made.  Thanks to Charlie and Steve for their work on the tamper and to Mike and Kevin Hoskin for their assistance repairing it earlier in the week.

The above picture shows the view into the loop from the south.  You can see the ground frame on the right of the points.  The blue/brown lever locks the points in the straight ahead direction and is itself locked by the Laverton Staff, which is the permission to enter the Toddington - Laverton section and is carried on the locomotive.  The black lever changes the points to allow the loco to run round the train and can only be moved once the blue/brown lever has been reversed.  Note the locking bolt apparatus in the middle of the point, this slides a bolt through the locking stretcher which is the shiny bar in this picture which is fixed between the two point blade toes.  It is a safety requirement for passenger operation that all facing points (points which can change your direction) are locked in position in this manner.  In the far distance you can see some p-way wagons in the engineering possession beyond the loop head shunt.

This picture shows the view from the north.  The ground frame on the left only has one lever and is not locked.  This is because this frame is just for run round and shunting and is not for passenger moves.  The limit of passenger operation is the bridge over the road to Wormington (in the centre ground of the picture).
Behind us is the line which will eventually go to Broadway.  This is currently an engineering possession and can only be accessed by trains involved in track work.

The loop still requires some ballast shovelling to finish it off and no doubt the p-way team will be seen in the area in the near future.

Neil Carr.  Operations Manager.

Wednesday 6 March 2013

CRC Platform 2 Moves On!

These are the latest Bob Stark's on progress.

Really like the one opposite - a hive of activity!

Dr Who at CRC?

So whats this on the CRC gate support? Neil Carr has done a deal with a firm that's ensuring wifi facilities for the Gold Cup meeting. We're hoping that it may lead to our having free wifi at the Station which we can use on the platform.

Bob Stark (photographer) wishes to emphasise that the gates are now the same colour and there is a new notice board!



Everyone seems to be enjoying our range of Blogs. If you take (or want to take) photos of what's happening on the Railway,  please submit them to the appropriate Blog or to me

Malcolm Temple

Tuesday 5 March 2013

Embankment Work at CRC Complete

Many of you will have been aware that towards the end of the 2012 season we had a slip of the non running side of the embankment at Cheltenham Race Course.  Like many of these slips this involved rabbit damage, excess water and the large quantity of ash tipped down the bank sides during BR days.  The bottom of the bank was repaired before Christmas using gabions (wire baskets filled with stone) and stone infill.  The rest of the embankment has now been repaired which has restored the roadway used by the race course during the festival.  Other drainage work and clearance of the streams at the foot of the bank has also been undertaken.  The picture below shows the completed works.  The gabions can be seen in the centre of the picture, the netting in the foreground has been installed to prevent future rabbit ingress.


Meanwhile, whilst the contractors were on site we looked at the other side of the bank where rabbit damage had caused collapse of the shoulder and it was feared that a slip could soon occur.  It was important that this area was fixed before a slip could start as a slip on that side could close the line once again.  Volunteers cleared the bank side and dug out the ditch to drain the area.  Then the contractors got in a large reach 360 machine and working from the track reshaped the embankment, collapsing all the rabbit burrows.  They then rebuit the shoulder with stone.  The bank was netted to prevent further rabbit damage and a french drain was installed at the foot of the bank to drain the area and to take the track drain outflow through the site.  The ditch was then filled in which will allow a joint project between the GWR and Riding for the Disabled to replace the fence along our joint boundary.  This fencing will be happening soon so that horses can be allowed back into the field.

The picture below shows the reworked embankment, the new drain and the area soon to be fenced.  During the work the netting was run under the public footpath and stone used to remake the path.  This will prevent rabbits digging in the footpath and causing dangerous trip hazards.  This was a previous ongoing problem.


The contractors should be leaving site today after a job well done and our thanks go to Richard Meredith, Tony Scrocca and all those at George Law who have worked closely with us to complete this work.  Have a ride to CRC on the train and see this work for yourself, a very tidy job that hopefully will keep CRC embankment going for many years to come.

Neil Carr, Operations Manager.

Monday 4 March 2013


Development Update 

Just to keep everyone up-to-date, The Development Foundation had a number of meetings last week with potential Patrons and Campaign board members, a number of which look hopeful. People are now reviewing the role requirements, the case of support information and seriously considering our proposals – I will post information as and when I can.

We also had an update meeting with our President Pete Waterman, I came away encouraged by Pete’s positive response to the Railways Development plans and the fundraising strategy.  Pete indicated that his visits to the Railway would be more frequent this year, starting with the 1940’s weekend.

Sunday 3 March 2013

Visitor numbers for February

The total number of paying visitors this February was 533 which was well above budget. As those on duty this month will know, this number was significantly boosted by the number of (free) children under 5 years of age. Yesterday for instance, one of the trains (the bubble) was nearly full. The actual number throughout the month this year  was marginally lower than  last year but the weather this year particularly 2 weeks ago was awful. Also, in 2012, as we didn't have any special events to advertise, we had a  big advertising push to kick start the season. This year, our major advertising will start in March to push Easter, the Wartime weekend and the steam gala etc.
You may also be interested to know that group bookings are piling in. It is difficult to make comparisons but it looks as though we are about 20% up on confirmed bookings so far this year.
Colin Fewell

Sunday March 3rd in the Flag and Whistle

As mentioned in an earlier blog, we were the hosts for a play for primary school children this morning. The Everyman Theatre Cheltenham and the Play House Birmingham were responsible for "All aboard" - a short play about a group of people stuck in a first class carriage in the mid 1850's when the train stops suddenly. As recently as two weeks ago, we understood very few tickets had been sold, but this morning, it was a sellout with, over 100 parents and children in the Flag and Whistle. Before the play started we gave everyone a short ride on the DMU as a taster of what they could experience in the future. The play itself was about an hour and a half long with an interval for drinks  Everyone seemed to enjoyed the experience with several children saying they had never been on a train before and some parents commenting they didn't know we existed. (And this was from people living just a few miles away.) Hopefully we made a favourable impression - certainly a large number of them took away leaflets and flyers and one or two went on the train later
Colin Fewell.


Saturday 2 March 2013

What is the Financial Director doing?

Lets recall those involved with financial management

Takes the Credit

Malcolm Temple

Do the Work

Bob Mac - runs our Sage ledger system and creditor payments (quite a job)

Dave  the "Signal Man" Newman does exhausting work seeking to match Purchase Orders with invoices received

Richard Warner analysis of credit card income which is now major

The time from middle December to the end of January and then February are the FDs busiest of the year.

The first period is about assembling the Budget for the coming year and reporting to Board for approval. Data comes in from all sides and as well as the maths and some fine judgement, theres a lot of discussion/negotiation to ensure we allocate our ever limited resouces to the best effect.

February is even harder going since with the financial year ending on 31st January  Bob and I work closely to finalise the accounts for the year and put them in a form for the auditor. That's nearly complete for 2012 and Bob should take the books to Ormerod's in Droitwich Spa next week. I have a meeting with Jane Grimshaw (our actual auditor) there next Friday and their work begins, This will inevitably involve a series of questions and answers. Meantime Bob will be getting on with the new 2013 ledger and catching up with payments.

So what else?

A set of Management Accounts for the previous month showing income and expenditure for the month against Budget and a cumulative for the year to date is prepared for each Board meeting.

There are numerous enquiries, bids for additional funds, invoices to send (just done the Classic Hospitality one for the Gold Cup meeting), I look at every invoice that is paid etc etc

In conjunction with the Commercial Director (he monitors bums on seats) I constantly check how our income is going. February was good - ticket sales were £4,333 against a Budget of £2,000. The Shops had a good month as well.

There's more but that should give you a feel.

Malcolm Temple

Audience

Interesting that after a couple of weeks "on air" we have had viewings from

UK
US
Germany
Canada
Spain
Australia
France
Russia
New Zealand
Jamaica



MT

Friday 1 March 2013